As I sit here listening to the latest TED talks on self improvement, I consider my values and in turn the values of Acorn. I strive to live and work authentically and minimalism and mindfulness helps me know myself and in turn allows me to accomplish authenticity.
In 2020 during the pandemic; along with many other around the world, I found myself working at home, caring for a toddler with additional needs and trapped at home where my husband and I were highly stressed. I was forced to ask what really matters. Continuously attempting to keep the house tidy didn't make the list, neither did making as much money as possible or having the latest gadgets and fashions. I decided to resign from my professional role to focus on what did matter - parenting. I didn't realise it at the time but this was the start of my de-cluttering journey and my determination to focus on what matters.
The de-cluttering of physical items lasted a few years. As I revisited rooms in my home again and again, I found my home was filled with fewer and fewer belongings but the joy I got from sum of all my belongings was so much greater. I started to be mindful of my possessions and as I had less, I wanted less. During my recent autumnal deep clean of my home, I found the number of physical items I own had converged at a satisfactory level and the start of the journey into de-cluttering my time had begun.
I get a lot of satisfaction from doing my work well, although making my professional development fit with an employers needs instead of my own interests, endless administrative meetings and process improvement initiatives to see how I could make more money for my employers or protect their profit margins was not motivational for me. By becoming self employed (de-cluttering employers), I was able to focus on my career and authentically pursue my interests, by doing so I could be happier, focused at work and at home and in return contribute more.
Between contracts I have been able to focus on how I want to spend my time and de-clutter many time wasting activities which serve little purpose and bring little joy. Like with my physical possessions I find myself mindfully appreciating the tasks I do. As the time approaches to start my next professional assignment, I contemplate my daily routine to make space for dedicated time to serve my next client and forge trusting professional relationships with new colleagues. With a cluttered mind we are distracted from the priority at hand, with mindful focus on the task of the moment we can produce our best work in the most efficient way.
At the same time, I am looking forward to understanding new studies and new data, the aesthetically pleasing alignment of data in each table, the way all the numbers tally, the moment the picture of the data clicks into a deeper understanding and the realisation of the impact the analysis will have on people. I hope to have a positive impact on my next clients business but most importantly I hope to have a positive impact on the individuals I will serve on a daily basis, the teams I will support and eventually the people receiving the products studied.
As I mindfully close the page on another chapter, I look forward to embracing the next.